Our Team
Rebecca Deegan
Founder / Director & policy geek
I've worked in policy and public affairs for almost a decade, working on campaigns at the local, national and global-level across major policy challenges such as climate change and our ageing population. I set-up ‘I have a voice’ (IHAV) after reflecting on my own experience of leaving further education knowing nothing about politics and feeling unequipped to confidently articulate my views, especially if they were challenged.
​
I stumbled across a profession that showed me there are lots of parliamentary mechanisms that enable citizens to push for change. In a time where political discourse can be divisive, I want to show young people how they can use existing democratic processes to raise their voices in a way that promotes open-mindedness and compassion, and leads to effective action.
Amelia Christie
Deputy CEO & passionate about the power of grassroots advocacy in creating systems change
I have worked in social change advocacy for over 15 years both domestically and internationally across topics like affordable housing, accessible transport, pensions, social care and international development.
​
I am a strong believer in the power of everyday people engaging in politics to make society more equitable and to create the change they want to see, whether it is changing laws, government policies or how money is allocated.
​
I was previously the Head of International Policy and Advocacy at UNICEF UK and before that I ran an advocacy organisation, RESULTS International (Australia), which builds the political will to end extreme poverty by engaging parliamentarians through grassroots advocacy.
​
In my spare time I like being out in nature, reading and I am a Trustee of Birthrights, a human rights charity.
Serena Kelly
Operations and Administrative Assistant & strongly committed to human rights and environmental protection
I am currently studying for my MSc in Environmental Change and International Development at the University of Sheffield. This builds on my academic background as a graduate in Politics and International Relations from the University of Nottingham.
My IHAV journey began with virtual work experience, collaborating with a fantastic team to launch the Justice 4 You campaign group. I then took a lead in passionately promoting fair fashion on Instagram and organising successful clothes swaps at universities and community events.
In my free time, I love staying active and discovering new places.
Our Board
Cassie Howe
Cassie has built her career within the not for profit and public sectors, with a focus on organisational growth and change as well as policy development and implementation.
Most of her roles have been working in or with organisations working with or for services serving children and young people.
Currently Cassie works at Transformation Partners in Health and Care (TPHC), an NHS consultancy by the NHS for the NHS. Cassie has been with IHAV since its founding.
Radhika Madlani
Radhika leads public policy engagement for Amazon’s operations sites.
​
Radhika's previous experiences include Public Affairs and Stakeholder Relations Officer at a legal regulator, and time at Industry and Parliament Trust (IPT), a parliamentary education charity.
​
Radhika is a certified Mental Health First Aider and holds a degree in Politics and International Relations from Aston University.
Rachael Clamp
Rachael is a public affairs and communications specialist with over 20 years' experience across agency, in-house, and consultancy roles.
She is the Founder and Director of Ardesey, helping organisations build strong, credible voices and telling their stories to achieve their objectives.
Rachael served as President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) in 2024 and plays a key role in the Lobbying For Good Lobbying campaign to promote transparency and trust in public affairs.
Eric Hampel
Eric is a designated accountant and experienced finance leader with a track record of translating financial data into commercial insight for both finance and non-finance leaders. Having led multiple fundraising rounds including taking a company to a multi-million pound IPO on the LSE he supports the scaling of businesses through the development and implementation of robust reporting capability.
​
He has worked for a Canadian Minister and MP and took on many leadership roles in the youth wing of a political party.
​
Michelle Smyth
Michelle is a senior public affairs professional with over 25 years of experience in stakeholder engagement and influencing across Westminster, Whitehall, and Brussels.
She leads government & external affairs at The Open University, and before that, she led public affairs and campaigns at Which?, as well as working for MEPs and MPs.
Michelle studied European Studies at Hull University and has supported IHAV on the mentoring programme for years.
Fallon Wilkinson
Fallon manages Regulation and Compliance at Water Plus, the UK’s largest water retailer, and is Retailer Chair of the Retailer Wholesaler Group. She is also a director on the CMA Scotland Board.
Her career focuses on policy and regulatory advocacy. Fallon was a Political Advisor to the Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and has worked as a management consultant for both public and private sectors.
​
Fallon is a School Governor, focusing on Pupil Premium, SEND, and Mental Health. She is a qualified Mental Health First Aider.
​Co-chairs: Peter Abbott (COO, AiStream) and Cassie Howe (Healthcare Consultant, Royal Free Hospital)
​
Members: Radhika Madlani (Public Policy Manager, Amazon), Alisha Iyer (Policy Manager, UCL Lab), Rachael Clamp (Founder, Ardesey Ltd), Charlotte Burchill (Campaigner), Eric Hempel (CFO, Tribe Technology Group), Michelle Smyth (Head of Government & External Affairs, The Open University), Fallon Wilkinson (Head of Regulation & Compliance, Water Plus).
Ben Maher (2024)
Ben volunteered with IHAV pretty much from day one. He helped me to make sure our culture is inclusive and kind. I will never forget Ben's contribution to IHAV, and the kindness and support he showed towards me and our community.